Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is made by adding yeast to the apple juice to cut down the natural sugar of the apples and turn it into wine or alcohol. Then, bacteria are added to this alcohol to convert it into acetic acid, which gives ACV its sour taste. 

Apple Cider Vinegar is of two types, Filtered and Unfiltered ACV. Filtered ACV is also known as Non-organic ACV is usually pasteurized which means that it has been boiled to remove the insects and bacteria. But this refining process removes the “mother” from the ACV and turns it into a clear honey colored vinegar. 

The unfiltered ACV is also known as the Organic ACV. It contains the “mother” which has the gut boosting bacteria and consists of good bacterium that is present in the vinegar giving it a cloudy appearance. ACV acts as a great detox for your body as it still has “the mother” in it.  The mother contains good bacteria for the gut, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.

(Also Read: Apple Cider Vinegar- Filtered Vs. Unfiltered)

Keeping blood glucose at the best possible level plays a vital role in staying healthy. Managing blood glucose levels can minimize the risk of developing certain diseases.

Thanks to the good bacteria present in Apple Cider Vinegar. It offers amazing health benefits ranging from energy boosts, improving metabolism, helps in weight management, improves your heart condition and reduces blood glucose levels, which is what we are going to discuss in this article today.

What is Diabetes and how does it affect you?

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that leads to failure of your body to manage glucose levels.

How is glucose produced in your blood? When you eat, food is broken down into glucose (or you may also call it sugar). Glucose is the focal energy recourse for your body which is mixed into your bloodstream. If there is high in take of sugar in the blood, the pancreas is activated to release insulin immediately to turn the blood sugar into cells to be used as energy, hence dropping sugar levels back to normal.

 

If you happen to have diabetes, it means your body is not producing as much insulin as required to control the extra sugar level in your bloodstream. High glucose levels can cause other serious health issues if not treated properly such as heart and kidney disease.

 

There are 3 main types of diabetes: pre-diabetic, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes.

Pre-diabetic: Normal blood glucose levels are between 70-99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and pre-diabetes usually ranges between 100 – 125 mg/dL. Pre-diabetes also known as borderline diabetes means that the glucose level is higher  in the blood than usual but not so high as to categorize it as diabetes.

Type-1 Diabetes: occurs when the body stops producing insulin. The person with type 1 diabetes has to depend on intake of artificial insulin, diet and life style changes to prevent complications.

Type-2 Diabetes: It is the most common type of diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is a chronic condition but unlike type-1, it still produces insulin. Either the body stops responding to the effect of the insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain blood glucose level in the body.

Apple Cider Vinegar For Blood Glucose Levels

Use of Apple Cider Vinegar with meals has been consumed as a medicine to cure diabetes even before any diabetic medicines were formulated. Recent studies have shown that ACV may have some possible benefits for pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetic patients. A small study suggests that the acetic acid is one of the most important properties of ACV helps to reduce insulin levels needed to digest starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, white bread and white rice.  In-take of Apple Cider Vinegar before meals helps to control blood sugar levels after consuming starchy meals for pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetic patients.

Similarly, another report suggests, in-take of ACV before bedtime helps to decrease fasting glucose levels by 4% for people with type-2 diabetes. Many people swear by consuming ACV twice a day to help them reduce their fasting blood glucose levels.

 

The acetic acid in ACV slows down the process of converting food into glucose in the bloodstream, and thus preventing spikes in glucose levels.

One very important note, that ACV is not the cure to diabetes. It only helps to control diabetes to a certain level only. You still need to continuously take its medication prescribed by the doctor. Sync with diabetes diet plan and you also need to monitor your pre- and post-meal diabetes.

Apple Cider Vinegar has proven to be most beneficial for pre-diabetic patients (patients who have future signs of developing into a type-2 diabetes). Various studies have shown that ACV cuts down the blood sugar levels to half a percent after a meal for pre-diabetic patients.

A few reports have shown that after the in-take of ACV twice a day continuously for 8-12 weeks have shown significant reduction in type-2 diabetes.

There have been fewer studies conducted for type-1 diabetic patients, where it is shown that in-take of 2 tablespoons of ACV after meals have shown reduction in high sugar levels.

However, Apple Cider Vinegar has not proven to show any harmful effect on diabetic patients. Hence ACV can prove to be beneficial for people who keep a proper check on diabetes, good diet plan and maintain regular exercise.

 If you are interested in trying ACV than unfiltered, organic ACV is the best form of Apple Cider Vinegar, which may have small deposit but it consists of bacteria that benefits health.

Quick Remedy

If you are incorporating ACV in your diet specifically to control your glucose levels than make sure than ACV should never be consumed directly. In fact you need to dilute it with water or toss it with olive oil as a salad dressing into your favorite less starchy vegetables or you can also use it as a marinade for meat or poultry, as drinking ACV directly may spoil your tooth enamel and irritate your stomach plus its tangy taste makes it harder to consume without dilution in water.

1. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with water
2. Drink it before a meal or at bedtime, whenever it is beneficial for your condition depending whether you are pre-diabetic or type-2 diabetic.

Consuming Apple Cider Vinegar with a restricted diet plan and the right medication (if prescribed) can help control blood sugar levels. 

However, tips and suggestions mentioned in this article are for general information only and should not be considered as professional medical advice. It is very important to consult a doctor before making any changes to your diet along with proper monitoring. As only a physician can guide you better as to whether vinegar is beneficial for health or not, depending on your health condition.

When you decide you're ready to start an ACV regimen, choose Nutratrek: the best ACV gummies you can buy.